2005 Toyota Land Cruiser Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Caution The 2005 Toyota Land Cruiser has a Complaint Index of 60, ranking 7th worst out of 16 model years, with a Caution verdict. NHTSA lists 9 complaints and 3 recalls, with Brakes as the top problem area.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 60/100
- #7 of 16 Land Cruiser years
- Verdict
- Caution
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 9
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 3
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 0
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Top issue
- Brakes
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 13
- 12 city / 16 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 0 / 0
Top 2005 Toyota Land Cruiser problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Brakes3 (33%)
- Other2 (22%)
- Structure & Body2 (22%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires2 (22%)
- Airbags1 (11%)
- Steering1 (11%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Brakes can engage unexpectedly at highway speed, causing the vehicle to skid or feel like it might roll over.
- The parking brake has been reported to freeze in place, which owners linked to corrosion on a metal component.
- Some owners report the hydraulic brake booster assembly failing, causing a loss of braking ability that required use of the emergency brake.
- A windshield leak allowed water into the fuse box, causing the headlights to stay on.
- Vehicles have shown shaking or vibration issues within the first 1,500 miles that persisted despite tire balancing and alignment work.
- Owners report excessive frame rust, including a steering stabilizer bar mount rusting off during driving.
2005 Toyota Land Cruiser recalls
3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 16V065000Feb 5, 2016Airbags320,409 vehicles
Air bags:side/window
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2003-2006 Toyota Land Cruiser and Lexus LX470, 2005-2006 Toyota Tundra and Sequoia, 2004-2006 Toyota 4Runner and Lexus GX470 vehicles equipped with side curtain-shield-air bags. The affected vehicles have an air bag control module that may be improperly programmed, causing the side curtain-shield-air bags to deploy inadvertently.
Risk: If the side curtain-shield-air bags deploy unexpectedly, it can increase the risk of occupant injury.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag control module with one that has improved programming, free of charge. The recall began on December 1, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-271-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is G0C and GLB.
- NHTSA 10V036000Feb 3, 2010Other153,418 vehicles
Equipment:other:labels
Southeast toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 passenger vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.
Risk: A driver may overload a vehicle which may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will mail to consumers the corrected label or the customer will have the option for dealers to install the label free of charge. The safety recall began on may 27, 2010. Owners may contact southeast toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
- NHTSA 09V223000Jun 15, 2009Other27,080 vehicles
Equipment:other:labels
Toyota is recalling 27,080 model year 2005 through 2010 passenger cars built from september 1, 2005 to may 4, 2009. These vehicles were not equipped with load carrying capacity modification labels which fails to conform with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims."
Risk: Incorrect load carrying capacity modification labels could result in the vehicle being overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners and provide them with a new, accurate label to be installed over the inaccurate label free of charge. The safety recall began on august 18, 2009. Owners may contact toyota at 1-888-270-9371.
2005 Toyota Land Cruiser fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 12 MPG
- Highway
- 16 MPG
- Combined
- 13 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $5,000
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2005 compared with other Land Cruiser years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2005 Toyota Land Cruiser reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2005 Land Cruiser carries a Complaint Index of 60 and a Caution verdict, ranking 7th worst among 16 model years of this model. Brakes are the top reported problem area, making up 33% of complaints.
- What problems does the 2005 Toyota Land Cruiser have?
- NHTSA complaints cite Brakes (33% share), Structure & Body issues like frame rust (22%), and Suspension, Wheels & Tires problems (22%). The median mileage at failure for brake complaints was 61,512.
- Does the 2005 Toyota Land Cruiser have any recalls?
- Yes, NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2005 Land Cruiser, covering airbag control module programming, tire selection and rims labeling, and load carrying capacity modification labels.
- How does the 2005 Land Cruiser compare to other years?
- With a Complaint Index of 60, the 2005 model ranks better than the 2008 and 2009 model years, which are rated Avoid with indexes of 93 and 87. It ranks worse than years like 2019, which has an index of 7.
- What is the fuel economy of the 2005 Toyota Land Cruiser?
- EPA rates the 2005 Land Cruiser at 13 mpg combined, 12 mpg city and 16 mpg highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $5,000.